02499cam a22003013u 450000100060000000300070000600500170001300600020003000700050003200800410003704000110007804100170008905000070010610000250011324500580013826400510019630000470024733600260029433700260032033800360034650000310038250801700041352013860058353400870196965300390205685600590209585600430215467350UtSlPG20260610134544.0mcr n260607r20221917utu|||||o|||||||||||||| d  aUtSlPG 7aen2iso639-1 4aJS1 aGilbertson, Henry S.14aThe County: The "Dark Continent" of American Politics 1aSalt Lake City, UT :bProject Gutenberg,c2022  a1 online resource :bmultiple file formats  atextbtxt2rdacontent  acomputerbc2rdamedia  aonline resourcebcr2rdacarrier  aRelease date is 2022-02-07  adeaurider and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)  a"The County: The 'Dark Continent' of American Politics" by Henry S. Gilbertson is a political analysis written in the early 20th century. This work dives into the often overlooked yet crucial role of county governments in the broader landscape of American democracy. It explores the inefficiencies, complexities, and the unique challenges that county governments face, suggesting that a deeper understanding of these local administrations could illuminate fundamental issues persisting within the democratic system.  The opening of the volume introduces the author's intent to shed light on the subtleties of county governance, highlighting a disconnect between the electorate's complacency and the actual workings of these political structures. Gilbertson notes a lack of attention given to the county's role in democracy, as citizens generally exhibit indifference toward county issues, often relying on old traditions without sufficient scrutiny. This disconnect is illustrated through concrete examples of misconduct and inefficiency within various counties, revealing systemic issues that underscore the need for serious reform and renewed engagement from the citizenry. The author argues that a critical examination of county governments is essential for enhancing democratic accountability and effectiveness in local governance. (This is an automatically generated summary.)  pOriginally published:cUnited States: The National Short Ballot Organization, 1917  aCounty government -- United States4 uhttps://archive.org/details/countydarkcontin00gilbrich40uhttps://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/67350